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Jeff's headphone buying guide

Find the best pair of headphones, with our expert's advice

Jeff Miller

How did I earn the nickname "headphone guy" here at Crutchfield? Through extensive training, research, and good old-fashioned hands-on experience. I've spent thousands of hours listening to different models, and thousands more writing about them. My other areas of expertise include voice control, streaming audio and video, and power protection.

My love of headphones started back when I was in elementary school, and my parents gave me a Walkman. I still love the intimate, wonderfully detailed sound you can get from the right headphone setup.

I spent the first eight years of my Crutchfield career in our customer support department. Listening to thousands of customer stories gave me real-world insights into what makes people happy.

About Jeff

Started at Crutchfield in 2006

Completed our thorough in-house Advisor training, learning the details of every type of product we sell

Attends dozens of vendor training events each year

Travels to industry events like CanJam NYC and the Capital AudioFest

Interviewed some of the headphone industry's most accomplished engineers and product designers

Authored dozens of Crutchfield articles and hundreds of product presentations

Jeff's passion for headphones and his commitment to hands-on experience exemplify Crutchfield's mission to exceed our customers' expectations by providing an abundance of helpful information.

There's no shortage of headphones out there. We offer more than 350 different models, spanning all types of styles, colors, and features.

So how do you find the best headphones for you? I've written about and tried lots of headphones, so I can help you narrow down your choices.

I spend many hours a week writing about and listening to headphones. Read on for my advice on choosing the perfect pair.

The right headphones for the situation

Here’s the most important thing to think about: how and where you plan to use headphones. Different headphones work better in different situations. In the sections below, I’ll take you through the main categories and uses, and point out some features to look for.

Fit options

There are some basics you should know about fit. Here are the three styles:

You'll find that earcup sizes can vary greatly. That's why we take photos of most of our on-ear and over-ear headphones on a mannequin to show scale. Look for them in the photo carousel at the top of product pages.

Open-back vs closed-back

This choice often boils down to "where do you usually listen to headphones?" At home, in a room where you won't disturb others? Or in a crowded place like an office or bus?

Wired vs wireless headphones

Most of our top-selling headphones right now are Bluetooth headphones, and I expect their popularity to keep growing. They let you listen to music without connecting a wire to your phone — where most of us keep our music and podcasts. That makes them super convenient.

Plus, Bluetooth's sound quality and reliability have greatly improved over the past 4 or 5 years. And now that that the iPhone and other popular phones no longer feature a headphone jack, even more of us are turning to wireless.

Even so, audio purists prefer wired headphones to deliver the best possible sound. And the highest-end headphones rely on a wired connection. When I'm not checking out a new pair of headphones at my desk, my go-to listening rig includes a pair of wired over-ears.

Smartphone control for on-the-go listening

If you’re commuting or listening on the move, consider headphones with a built-in remote/mic. They give you control over some of your phone’s key functions.

A three-button in-line remote gives you the most control over your smartphone's music and call functions.

Noise-canceling headphones

Noise-canceling headphones take sound isolation a big step further than closed-back headphones. They use internal circuitry to neutralize the sound around you. I strongly recommend them for air travel — they can block out the plane’s engine drone so you can watch movies or listen to music at safer volumes.

Many customers associate noise-cancelling headphones with Bose, who pioneered and popularized the category. And their latest flagship model, the QuietComfort® 35 wireless II, can block noise as effectively as any headphones I’ve heard.

"Adaptive" or "Adjustable" noise cancellation. Some noise-canceling headphones can be adjusted according to your environment. While some offer manual adjustments, others do it automatically based on the level of external noise.

Comfort Matters

How your headphones feel plays a big part in how much you'll enjoy them. If I’ve had a test-run with a pair of headphones, I like to tell you whether they fit relaxed, snug, or somewhere in-between. Scan the product bullets or read "my take" for fit details on the headphones you're considering.

"True" wireless earbuds

When Apple dropped the headphone jack, they introduced the Apple Air Pods. These high-tech headphones include Apple’s special W1 chip to improve the wireless connection and performance.

Since then, we've seen a wave of True Wireless headphones (also called "truly wireless"). Just like other in-ear Bluetooth headphones, they'll play music wirelessly from your phone. But each earbud rests in your ear without a cord connecting the two, making them 100% wire-free.

Gaming headphones

Some video games are considered works of art — or at least an innovative, interactive way to tell a story. With all the time and effort spent to make these games sound as good as possible, there should be headphones that can do them justice.

Most gaming headphones feature surround sound processing to give you an immersive gaming experience. Some also give you a competitive advantage: you can hear spatial cues or opponents trying to sneak up from behind.

The Audeze Mobius headphones take it a step further with real-time head-tracking technology for realistic 3D surround sound. "Through the Mobius headphones, the sound was as enchanting as the graphics and the gameplay," said Crutchfield IT specialist Jenny, an avid gamer. "I felt like I was in the middle of the game."

Wireless TV headphones

We always get questions about headphones for watching TV. I think Sennheiser's line of transmitter-based headphones are the most reliable TV headphones. The transmitter connects to your TV or stereo and beams sound wirelessly to your headphones. Perfect for late-night viewing.

Watch TV at the volume you want to, without disturbing others.

Feature to look for:

Effects modes and/or dialogue boost. What matters most to you? Clear, intelligible speech? Rollicking, immersive surround effects? Rich, balanced music sound? There are transmitter-based headphones that excel in each area.

Audiophile headphones

I prefer listening to a great pair of headphones over a nice pair of speakers. It’s not the most popular stance to take here at Crutchfield. But I just love the absolutely unfiltered connection you can get to an artist, song, or performance when you have the right headphone setup. You can really sink your teeth into the clear, dynamic sound that top-flight headphones can deliver.

Crutchfield Advisor Archer says he prefers the personal connection you get with headphones — his vast collection includes a top-shelf Audeze model.

Headphone amps and DACs

High-performance headphones often require more power to perform their best. A Headphone amplifier can make a world of difference. For the best sound, you also don't want to rely on your computer or phone's digital-to-analog converter (DAC). An outboard DAC can squeeze out every musical detail – soft or powerful —from a recording.

Hi Brooke,
Unfortunately, none of the over-ear TV headphones we carry have rotating earcups. We'll follow up with you directly to see if we can find a solution for you.
If you happen to have an existing pair of headphones that you like, Sennheiser's Flex 5000 wireless system should work with them. It includes a transmitter like the other TV headphone models, but also includes a small wireless receiver with a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Brooke Plotnick from Henrico

Posted on 12/1/2018

Hi Jeff,
Thank you for all this information! It's very helpful. Since you have so much hands-on experience, I am looking for headphones (like the Sennheiser RS 165 or a step or two down from them), but unable to figure out how to search for a specific feature: I need over or on-ear models where the earcups can lay flat. Can you recommend a product that does this?
We want the speakers and the headphones on (headphones will boost sound for a single user). We don't want to have to remove them repeatedly for conversations, during ads, etc, so need rotating earcups so they can be worn around the neck instead of directly on the ears.
I've been reading these pages know essentially what we need to ensure the speakers and the headphones transmit at the same time, but aren't having luck being able to see pictures of headphones with earcups that rotate.
Thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide.

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David Brown from Crutchfield

Posted on 12/1/2017

Hi Augie, Our headphone expert Jeff is on vacation this week. But I saw your comment and can answer your question. The Sennheiser HD 700 headphones are going to require more power to sound their best. That means we highly recommend getting a separate headphone amp to use with them. The Audio-Technica headphones are much more efficient. While an amp would improve their sound, you could use them with a smartphone and get good performance.

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Augie from MERIDEN

Posted on 12/1/2017

I'm stuck between the sennheiser hd 700 and audiotechnica ath m70X. Side by side very comproble , both are over the ear ,one is open back one closed back, frequency response is very close, the big difference is in ohms. The hd 700 are150 ohms vs m 70x at 35 ohms, why such a large difference and what does that tell you.

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Jeff Miller from Crutchfield

Posted on 8/18/2017

Cay --
There are usually ways to make this
work, though it depends on your TV/audio
setup. One option is to connect the
transmitter to your cable box. I'll forward your question to an Advisor who can touch base with you about your setup.

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Cay Morrison from Farmington, NM 87401

Posted on 8/15/2017

I want headphones to use with TV and for those listening without headphones at the same time,?

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Jeff Miller from Crutchfield

Posted on 3/6/2017

Grado hand-builds their headphones in the same shop where they make phono cartridges for turntables, so that's a good place to start. Their headphones have a warm, natural soundstage that plays nicely with vinyl.

Fantastic article, but I believe you left out vinyl-listening audiophiles who enjoy analog media on their home systems--aka...me! :) I have a pair of low-end Sennheisers, but the ear padding has wore out rediculously fast. Advice for a reasonably priced option?